If you want to coach someone or someone asks to be coached, you have to ask the question: Are you willing to do what it takes to make it work?

I say this because if an individual is not willing to accept the coaching methodology and approach you offer, it will make it challenging for you to help them reach what they are trying to accomplish — and if you are the entrepreneur or small business owner, challenging for you to gain any momentum or insight.

What is important is that the exchange of information becomes clear and free of judgement or limitations. The way to do that is by being open minded and able to accept new concepts and ideas as well as to be able to challenge them in a meaningful way.

As a coach working with entrepreneurs, small business owners or leaders in the community, you learn a lot if you pay attention and take notes on how people think or work, in order to motivate them to do what you ask. In our Train the Trainer program for economic developers — specifically those supporting entrepreneur’s and small business owners — we discuss the roles utilized to support entrepreneurs.

If you pilot the my way or the highway boat, it might be a little tough to make it work. And you might get others to work with you but in a very limited and shallow space. Whereas, if you are open to different ideas and challenges, you are able to guide the conversation to be more meaningful and achieve the results all parties desire.

I encourage you to revisit some of the previous blogs as well as books I’ve written on this topic to better understand or gain a deeper understanding of how I have been able to significantly clarify which role does what, and how you utilize all of them to support entrepreneurs and small business owners. Or, you could join our Train the Trainer program next time we launch it!

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What are you planning to do once you hire a coach?

2. What are you expecting from the coach?

3. What have you done to be coach-able, as a client or as a coach yourself?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.